Bath mat and the like



F. C. EREWR BATH MATA AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 4, 1924 y l@ connection with bath tubs,

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

' UNITED .STATES FREDERICK 9. BREWER, OF LGS ANGELES, CALEFORNIA.

para MAT man THE 1.1m.

Application led September t, 19%. Serial No. 735,877.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that l, FREDERICK C. BREWER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los A11- geles and State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Bath Mats and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mats for usen shower baths and -the like, to insure safe footing upon enameled and like surfaces in the presence of water. The invention has for its principal object the provision of a mat which may w be caused to adhere to, or frictionally engage, such a surface. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a mat whichwill' employ external or atmospheric pressure to hold it detachably Q secured to a smooth or wet surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mat which, while capable of adhering strongly against lateral movement, may be readily removed even by a child or linw valid. l

Another object of vthe invention vide an improved vacuum cup means for mats and the like. f' Still another object of the invention is to provide a mat which may be caused to adhere to a submerged wet surface without effort on the part of the user. It will be understood in the consideration of this invention that usual bath mats when' thrown into a tub of water do not gravitate to correct position, but tend to skid over into the corner of the tub. Furthermore, when the usual bath mat is at the bottom of the tub, it takes voluntary and even skillful effort 40 on the part of the user to make same adhere suitably. -l

It is therefore another object'of my invention to provide a mat of the character described which will prove to be somewhat automatic in so far asattachment is concerned.

Still another object of A provide a vacuum cup same, which is simple,

5 facture and long lived.

Still other ob3ects and advantages of my invention will appear hereinafter.

is to proattaching myinvention is to means for attaehmg economical of manuparticularly because of the thin bri li have illustrated by the accompanying l drawings one practical embodiment of my invention.

lin the said drawings,

Figure 1, is a plan view of a bathmat which includes the salient features of my v invention;

Figure 2, is a view in bottom elevation of a fragmentary part thereof;

Figure 3, is an enlar ed detail section through one of a plura ity of improved vacuum cups, such as are integrally incorporated'in my improved mat;

Figure 4, is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a vacuum cup in operative position; Figure 5, is a view in section of a part of a modified form of mat, and Figure 6, is a slmilar vewshowing the mat in applied position.

In carrying out my invention in its application to bath mats, ll provide an integral moulded mat 1, of asuitable material, such as rubber or composition. The composition and structure of mats for submergence in soapy water and the like is well understood by'those skilled in the art and need not be discussed herein. The only requisite, in so far as the action of the mat is concerned, is that the material have substantial resiliency throughout its structure, or at certain required points, as will appear hereinafter.

ln moulding the mat it is provided with a plurality of suitably spaced and arranged concavo-convexities, or domes v8. While each dome is, shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, an integral part of the mat, an encompassing annular groove 9 is provided in the undersurface 10,

for each dome. Thus the dome is in eiect a complete member in itself connected to the vmatlby the thin annular bridge of rubber at 1 Thebridge and annular groove have several purposes and functions. The f e o displacement and disto tion of the dome without resistance on the part of the body of the mat. The existence of the groove provides a well defined an nulus or annular lip 14, on which the ige stands, and it assures of slight pr'e re moving `t 'e dome firmly and evenly into rubber permits of dit at least in the embodiments contact with an underlying surface, such as 15, even should the adjacent portions of the mat tend to rest unevenly on the said surface. In fact, the flexibility provided by the thin bridge will permit of the intermediate portions of themat, such as 16, being warped away from the underlying surface without tendency to pull the dome away from the surface. Such a condition is shown graphically exaggerated in Fig. 4. In fact, water occupying the space 17 in thel dome might even be displaced therefrom to points underlying portions, such as 16', while leaving the dome 0r vacuum cup in perfect contact with the underlying surface.

The accompanying drawing, Fig. 4, is just twice the actual scale of a successful embodiment of my invention, but of course the proportions of the parts and the relative thickness of the rubber at diferentfpoints are all effected by the nature of the mixture used. v

Now, it is a recognized fact that one of the prime objections to the ordinary vacuum cup, or fly-foot, or like device, is that it requires voluntary effort to apply same, if not some skill, and in a bath mat all the domes would have to be applied, or pressed into suction position, before it would be safe to step upon the mat. If this is not done, the first weight coming upon a dome will cause water to squirt out from under same, and there is a tendency for the mat to skid during this time. If a small number of vacuum cups of large area are used it is very difficult to removethe mat. f

Therefore, in conformance with one salient feature of my invention, I provide a comparativel large number of small vacuum cups so t at the mat is effective in adhering,

vbut is readily removed because the vacuums are broken one at a time. It is true of my mat, that by virtue of the slight connections between the mat proper and the vacuum cups, water may be displaced from the cup cavity into spaces which may occur under portions 16, without skidding the mat, and without reacting on the vacuum cup. i However, I do not depend u on such possibility, and in conformance wit the invention and the objects thereof, each dome is provided with a central outlet aperture 20. j

Aperture 20 may be of practically any reasonable diameter in the embodiment shown in Figs. .1 to 4. Said aperture providesv an easy outlet for the concavitics. Preferably, though not essentially, a depending annular lip 21 is provided around the aperture. The domes are evenly distributed over the mat and of course one or more will be stepped upon without fail the instant a persons foot comes in contact with the mat. In Fig. 3 I have shown in broken outline a human heel just coming into contact with a dome,

lhe operation and a plication of the mat just described is as fbllowsz--It may be thrown into a tub or the like (not shown) .containing water. Because of the apertures 1n each dome it will sink easily, rapidly, and 70 even straight downward. As the mat descends, water will flow upward through the domes, and long before the mat has sunk. all air will be excluded.

N ow, when any object, such as convexities of the human foot, come in contact with a dome, the dome will be flattened and part of the contained water displaced will escape through the dome. This is true, even should the object come quite directly over the aperture. If of course the object is applied so centrally as to close the aperture then the displaced water will flow out under a portion of the mat, such as at 17, but any buckling of such portion will not affect the dome. i Now, when the inner annulus and the outer annulus are both in contact with the surface of the tub, the result is an annular vacuum cup. 'Ihe two annuli are of course compressed slightly, and the entire structure of the dome, tending to resume normal position will create a pressure reduction in the normal annular concavity. Because of the absence of air, the pressure reduction is considerable, with the slightest return movement of any part of the dome structure. The resultant vacuum holds the vacuum cup to the surface with a peculiar tenacity that resists lateral movement in a thorough and practical manner.

In the form of the invention .shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I provide a less resilient, and substantially non-displaceable material for the body of the mat 25. Said material may be a semi-hard rubber or like composition. The body is provided with a plurality of v large apertures 26, and in each there is provided a single apertured dome 27, made of a higher grade and a more resilient material, such as gum. Now it will be apparent that when the dome is stepped upon, as shown by Fig. 6, the gum will be all crowded into the space belowv the pressing object and within the aperture of the mat. As a consequence the compressed rubber will fill the large aperture to the complete exclusion of thc aperture in thedome. With water excluded from below the dome, natural resiliency of the dome will maintain a diminished pressure under the dome and the usual vacuum cu advantages will be realized.

ile I have shown and described specific construction and arrangements of parts, I do not limit myself thereto, and while I 125 have illustrated the vacuum cup invention as applied to a mat, I do not limit myself to such application, and I may employ other constructions and arrangements for the parts shown, and may apply my invention to any 130 article for attachment to a smooth surface, Without enlarging the scope of my invention, within the appended claims.

I claim,

l. A vacuum cup comprising a resilient dome provided With a central aperture, anv

outer annular lip for suction engagement with a smooth surface, and an inner annular integral lip immediately surrounding said aperture; the dome being adapted for depression to bring said inner lip into contact with a smooth surface on which the outer lip rests and the inner lip being resilient and adapted for suction engagement with such surface.

2. In a device of the class described, .a mat adapted for submergence and with a plurality of vacuum cups; each vacuum cup comprising a resilient dome provided with a central aperture, an outer annular lip for 'suction engagement with a smooth surface,

and an inner annular integral lip immediately-surrounding said aperture; the dome being adapted for depression to bring said inner lip into contact with a smooth surface on which the outer lip rests and the inner lip being resilient and adapted for suction engagement with such surface.

`3. A bath mat comprising a sheet of submersible material provided with a plurality of substantially integral concavo-convex rubber domes, each having a lower annular lip adapted for suction engagement with a smooth surface; the upper central part of each dome being provided with a central aperture and adapted to be depressed to bring that portion of the rubber surrounding said aperture into contact with a surf-ace on which the outer lip is resting.

4. A bath mat comprising a sheet of submersible material provided With a plurality of rubber domes; each dome provided With a central aperture and being sufiiciently shallow and resilient as to allow for that portion which surrounds the aperture being depressed until in suction contact with a sur- Jface on which the mat is then reposing.

FREDERICK C. lBEtllVlER.- 

